12 Youths Hospitalized After Electrical Incident at Cultus Lake Waterpark During School Field Trip

Emma MacLeod

6/16/20263 min read

A school field trip to one of British Columbia’s best-known summer attractions turned into a frightening emergency on Monday after 12 youths were injured in what officials say appears to have been an electrical incident at Cultus Lake Waterpark.

Emergency crews were called to the Chilliwack-area water park at around 11:20 a.m. PT after reports that multiple young people had been hurt. Initial information from police suggested that 10 youths and two adults had been transported to hospital, but RCMP later clarified that no adults were injured and that all 12 patients were youths.

Authorities said all of those taken to hospital were reported to be in stable condition, though their injuries were initially described as serious.

Incident Appears Linked to Ride Queue Area

Cultus Lake Waterpark officials say the event happened in the queuing area for the Zero to 60 Raceway ride.

Andrew Steunenberg, the park’s chief administrative officer, told reporters that the incident appeared to be electrical in nature and involved people making contact with a railing while standing in line.

According to Steunenberg, the problem occurred only briefly, but in that short span of time several young people were injured.

“When they made contact, that’s where the incident occurred,” he said, describing what he called an anomaly now under investigation.

Police have not yet released a detailed explanation of how the injuries happened, but later statements from multiple agencies pointed toward an electrical issue rather than any act of violence or deliberate human action.

No Ongoing Risk, RCMP Say

In an update issued Monday evening, RCMP said investigators do not believe the incident was caused by a person and do not suspect any intentional act.

Police also said there is no ongoing risk to the public related to what they described as an isolated incident.

That reassurance may provide some comfort to worried families, but the uncertainty surrounding the cause of the event has left many shaken.

School District Confirms Students Were Hurt

The injuries occurred during a field trip involving Grade 6 and 7 students.

Ken Hoff, assistant director of communications for the Coquitlam School District, said 11 students from Minnekhada Middle School were believed to have sustained injuries. The district described the injuries as unspecified.

It was not immediately clear whether all of the hospitalized youths were students from that one school, and school district officials have not publicly confirmed a full breakdown of those taken to hospital.

The incident has already sparked anxiety among other students and families with upcoming visits planned to the park.

Matthew Deery, a 14-year-old scheduled to attend a field trip to the water park next week, said the reports were unsettling and made him hesitant about going unless officials determine exactly what happened and confirm the issue has been fixed.

Large Emergency Response Deployed

B.C. Emergency Health Services said it sent a substantial response to the scene, including multiple ground ambulances, an advanced care unit, and two air ambulances staffed with critical care paramedics.

Two patients were airlifted to hospital, while the remaining 10 were transported by ground.

The scale of the response underscored the seriousness of the situation, even as officials emphasized that all injured youths were stable.

Investigation Now Underway

WorkSafeBC has taken conduct of the investigation, with RCMP remaining involved at the scene.

The workplace safety regulator said preliminary information suggested no workers were injured, but confirmed that an officer had attended the park following the incident.

At the same time, B.C. Hydro said an initial assessment found the electrical issue originated on the customer’s side of the service rather than with utility equipment owned by the power company.

That statement narrows one part of the investigation, but many questions remain unanswered, including what exactly triggered the electrical event and how so many youths came into contact with the affected area.

Water Park Closing Temporarily

In response, Cultus Lake Waterpark says it will close for at least 48 hours while the investigation continues.

Steunenberg said the park will not reopen until technical safety authorities determine it is safe to do so.

He described the incident as unprecedented in the park’s history, saying nothing like it had happened before and that it did not reflect the facility’s prior safety record.

For now, the temporary closure is likely to affect families and school groups with planned visits, but officials say safety must come first.

A Disturbing Day for Families

The incident has left families, students and educators looking for answers after what should have been a routine day of end-of-school-year recreation turned into a medical emergency.

With 12 young people hospitalized, two of them transported by air, the investigation will likely focus intensely on both the immediate source of the electrical problem and any broader questions around inspection, maintenance, and public safety in ride queue areas.

Until those answers emerge, the priority remains with the recovery of the injured youths — and with assuring the public that such an incident cannot happen again.

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